Other Pursuit Types

Experimental and Early Fighter Designs from Consolidated

While the P-30 / PB-2 stands as Consolidated Aircraft’s most recognized pursuit project, it was not the company’s only exploration into fighter development. During the interwar period, Consolidated produced a series of lesser-known prototypes, design studies, and limited-run aircraft intended to meet evolving Air Corps and Navy requirements.

These “other pursuit types” did not always reach mass production, yet they played an important role in testing new ideas, validating engineering concepts, and helping the military refine its fighter standards.

This page highlights those experimental models and developmental pathways that shaped Consolidated’s brief—but influential—role in the pursuit aircraft field.

A Laboratory for Fighter Innovation

Consolidated’s early pursuit experiments helped test:

aerodynamic refinements for high-speed flight
advanced cooling systems
metal monocoque fuselage structures
control-surface balance improvements
early retractable landing gear concepts
gun-mounting arrangements and synchronization systems

Although many of these prototypes never entered mass service, they provided the Air Corps with valuable performance data and influenced fighter design expectations going into the early 1930s.

Prototype Pathways and Design Studies

During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Consolidated explored several pursuit concepts that remained at the mockup or prototype stage.
These included:

Lightweight Pursuit Concepts

Small, streamlined fighters intended to prioritize speed and rate of climb above all else. These designs informed aerodynamic approaches later used in higher-performance aircraft.

High-Altitude Interceptor Studies

The company conducted internal work on interceptors optimized for altitude operations, including turbo-supercharging experiments that later influenced the P-30 program.

Navalized Pursuit Variants

Consolidated evaluated modifications for carrier suitability, exploring tail-hook installations, reinforced structures, and corrosion-resistant materials.

Mixed-Role Pursuit Designs

Some prototypes were evaluated as potential observation-pursuit hybrids—fast enough for interception, but stable enough for short-range reconnaissance.

Although few advanced beyond test airframes or wind-tunnel studies, they broadened Consolidated’s experience with fighter requirements during a period of rapid technological transition.

Why These Pursuit Projects Matter

Even without large production runs, these experimental fighters contributed substantially to Consolidated’s engineering development:

They strengthened the company’s relationship with Army and Navy evaluators.
They helped departments refine structural and aerodynamic modeling.
They allowed engineers to test new engines, propellers, and cooling systems.
They provided design experience that later fed into patrol planes, trainers, and bombers.

Consolidated eventually shifted its focus toward heavy aircraft—flying boats, transports, and long-range bombers—but its pursuit projects remained an important training ground for innovation.

Legacy of Consolidated’s Pursuit Experiments

The pursuit aircraft built and tested by Consolidated form a small but significant chapter in American fighter history.
They represent:

the transition from biplanes to modern all-metal fighters
the rise of high-speed aerodynamic research
the early adoption of enclosed cockpits and retractable gear
the technological foundation that later U.S. fighters would build upon

Though they never became famous frontline machines, these prototypes helped shape the design philosophy of an era.

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